


books and a bat

by HouserOfStories



Category: Batgirl (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Bonding, Books, Gen, Literature Nerd Jason, Stephanie Brown is Batgirl, blood is mentioned once, it’s just all very soft, that’s it that’s the fic, they’re bonding over books, vague book recs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:48:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 531
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29918535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HouserOfStories/pseuds/HouserOfStories
Summary: “What the fuck.”“Hey Jason,” Steph says breezily from his sofa, “how do?”
Relationships: Stephanie Brown & Jason Todd
Kudos: 27





	books and a bat

**Author's Note:**

  * For [peterpiperparker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/peterpiperparker/gifts).



> A slightly extended version of something I wrote for Mel over on tumblr for my holiday ask thing that is lasting months longer than it should have. It’s the procrastination. I have way too many requests left. But! I really liked this one so I thought I’d add a little bit on and post it here too.

“What the fuck.”

“Hey Jason,” Steph says breezily from his sofa, “how do?”

There are things Jason expects from life, and then there is Stephanie Brown. “Get out.” Steph raises an eyebrow, and she’d better not be bleeding over his favourite sofa. Only sofa. He doesn’t need to explain himself to her when she’s ruining his record of only one slightly noticeable bloodstain. “ _Please._ ”

“Nope.”

“You’d better not be bleeding on the best bit of furniture I bought. That was expensive.” And legal, which is something he’s never doing again. 

“I thought your table was your best bit of furniture.”

“Because I _made_ that table, why do you think— Don’t you usually do this at Tim’s place?”

“What, steal his food?” Steph wrinkles her nose. “You have better leftovers. And books.” Is this a hostile enemy takeover? Do they usually start with vigilantes raiding your fridge? Can they be bribed into _leaving?_ He’s asking the real questions here. Not that he’s expecting any real answers, but still. “Plus,” Steph says, _and_ _that better not be one of his books—_ “I’m not leaving until I’ve finished this.”

It’s _The Rest Of Us Just Live Here._ Jason has no reason to be interested in Steph’s taste in reading material, he _doesn’t._ She isn’t even making much of a mess, and that’s all Bats _do_. When did this become his problem?

“Don’t you have fucking college essays or something?”

Steph doesn’t even look up. “Probably.”

Jason does not have the time to reevaluate his life choices. “...Where are you at?” His fridge is thoroughly raided, and now he’s playing nice with Spoiler. Batgirl. He doesn’t know what iteration of pain in the ass she is.

“Come see for yourself.” This is unfair. Jason should be throwing her bodily out the window right now. Maybe he should call Replacement, make her his problem. Protect the leftover pasta with the nice sauce. Anything that isn’t elbowing her so she isn’t hogging the entire sofa and reading over her shoulder. Or snort as she makes sarcastic comments under her breath and then shifts so she’s using Jason as a makeshift pillow, like all he’s good for now is being glorified upholstery.

Somehow, though, he can’t bring himself to mind.

When she shuts the book with a snap, that should have been the end of it. But neither Jason or Steph are people who abide by _should have beens,_ so it isn’t.

They read through his battered copy of _Jane Eyre,_ that’s only falling apart a little bit, and after that it’s _Sherlock Holmes_ and _Holding Up The Universe_ and a night of Roald Dahl because between the two of them they can do all of the voices. Jason’s stack of have-reads become their too-reads. One afternoon, Steph brings a bag over full of nostalgic paperbacks.

All of this, and it isn’t until Jason is picking out books at the library that he realises he’s friends with Stephanie Brown. He’s friends with Stephanie Brown, and he _likes_ it.

But now that he thinks about it, that surprising realisation isn’t that surprising at all, so he tops off the pile with a thriller and goes to take them out.

**Author's Note:**

> come say hello on tumblr at [@houser-of-stories!](https://houser-of-stories.tumblr.com/)


End file.
